The Otherside Series
by Rozuial
Summary: Ever wondered what the real story behind MGS2 was? Read and find out.
1. How it begines

The following series i did not make personally or have a hand in its development in anyway. This series was done by 2 of my friends reciently Princess Co., Unltd.  
  
So sit back, read on and enjoy the Metal Gear Solid 2 series like never before. Staring Raiden, Otacon, and Solid Snake on their journy of love and passion on Big Shell.  
  
Enjoy from you favorite writer,  
  
Yusuke  
  
TITLE: Open Arms and Open Eyes  
  
PART: 1/1  
  
SERIES: Philanthropy  
  
PAIRING: Snake/Otacon  
  
AUTHOR: Princess Co., Unltd.  
  
RATING: PG (don't really know the citrus scale too well)  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Metal Gear and all its characters belong to Konami. We're simply borrowing these characters for our own amusement. We're not making money or anything, so please, nobody sue. We don't have anything anyway.  
  
NOTES: This story is the beginning of what will likely be a pretty long series. - Don't worry, the next fic will be much longer.  
  
SUMMARY: The tanker has just sunk and Otacon is on his way to rescue Snake...and make a few confessions.  
  
WARNINGS: This story depicts a male/male relationship (yaoi). It's pretty harmless in this case, but if it offends you, don't read it.  
  
*****************************************  
  
Open Arms and Open Eyes  
  
Otacon's small motorboat leapt across the waves at the highest speed he dared to go. He'd left the temporary headquarters, in an old warehouse near the Verizzano Bridge, as soon as he realized Snake was in trouble. He cut through the water in what he hoped was the right direction, remembering that Snake had mentioned a course change. Luckily, Mei Ling had arrived at the warehouse not long before everything started going wrong. He had left her there to help him locate Snake via radar.  
  
"Damn this rain. I can't see a thing," he muttered, pulling the hood of his poncho lower over his face and swiping the rain and salt spray off his glasses. He grumbled for a moment longer, then activated his Codec. "How am I doing?"  
  
'The tanker should be just a few yards directly in front of you,' Mei Ling's quietly accented voice said in his ear. 'Keep going straight ahead.'  
  
"I can't see it!" he cried, getting panicky. He wiped at his glasses again and peered into the rain swept night. "Where the hell is it?"  
  
He heard Mei Ling's sigh clearly over the Codec. 'Calm down,' she instructed gently. 'You're getting really close. It might be an idea to slow down. There is already a lot of debris in the water. You don't want to hit anything and damage your boat.' Her voice grew quieter. 'We need both of you back safe.'  
  
"Snake!" Otacon yelled his friend's name until his voice cracked. "C'mon, Snake," he whispered, mostly to himself, "you can't be dead. I need to tell you something important..." He broke off, staring out over the water, trying to see Snake's familiar sneaking suit in the tossing gray waves.  
  
'Slow down! You'll pass him!' Mei Ling's voice startled Otacon and he throttled back hard. 'He's just twenty feet away from you, a little to your right.'  
  
Turning the bow slightly starboard, Otacon moved ahead slowly. "Am I going the right way?"  
  
'A little further right,' Mei Ling directed and Otacon turned again. 'There, that's perfect. He should be just ahead of you.'  
  
"Snake? Snake, are you there?" he called, jumping slightly when the tanker beside him groaned loudly. He scanned the wreckage, flinching and biting his lip as his boat drifted past a few mangled, uniformed bodies. Then, he spotted another floating figure, one not dressed in a uniform. "Snake!" He gunned the boat and pulled beside his friend. Snake's body floated limply in the water, being tossed roughly by the waves. "Oh, please don't be dead, please."  
  
Reaching out, Otacon grasped Snake's arm, trying desperately to tug the heavy man into the boat without tipping over. Suddenly, Snake twitched and grabbed onto Otacon, instinctively dragging himself into the boat. Snake knelt on the floor, leaning across Otacon's lap and coughing up two lungfuls of seawater.  
  
Otacon's relief at finding Snake diminished when he realized the tiny boat was being dragged inexorably closer to the sinking tanker. "Oh, no," he breathed. He reached back to gun the motor, trying to escape the tanker's pull.  
  
'What's going on?' Mei Ling's voice was full of panic and worry.  
  
"I've got Snake," Otacon barked into the Codec. "We're heading back. I want you to clear out of that warehouse now, Mei Ling. Get Snake's pictures to safety fast. We'll see you back at Philanthropy."  
  
'I'm backing up the photos as we speak. I'll be out of here in just a few minutes,' Mei Ling assured. 'Be careful.'  
  
With an approving nod, Otacon turned off his Codec and turned his full attention to steering the boat to shore. But, even at its full power, the boat's small motor couldn't fight against the tanker's pull. Over and over, Otacon tried to steer away, but the bow kept getting pulled back. They were being dragged toward the wreck.  
  
Suddenly, the massive ship groaned loudly and lurched beside them. Otacon yelped with fear as a huge wave rolled away from the ship and tipped them crazily. The tanker was sinking faster; already the bridge was at water level. With only one option left, Otacon turned the tiny boat and moved as close to the taker as he could, weaving among the debris and charging full speed along it's side. As soon as the tanker's bow was in sight, he veered hard away and the motorboat broke free of its hold.  
  
Still running full speed, Otacon directed the boat to a safe point clear of the tanker, but far enough from shore not to be seen. Once he was sure it was safe, he cut the motor and threw his arms around Snake, who was still lying across his legs. "Thank God! Oh, thank God you're alive!"  
  
"Yeah," Snake rasped, grinning faintly and sitting up to pat Otacon's shoulder. "I don't die that easy." He pulled away from Otacon, painfully dragging air into his burning lungs, and leaned against the seat opposite his partner.  
  
Otacon slid to the floor, staring at Snake with tear-filled eyes. "Oh, Snake, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."  
  
Shaking his head, Snake reached over and squeezed Otacon's shoulder. "Don't take all the blame yourself. We all fell for it. This was one big setup. I can feel it. Besides, you didn't make me go on this mission, I wanted to." With one last squeeze, he released Otacon and sat back. He began to shiver, trying hard not to let his teeth chatter.  
  
"Oh geez," Otacon groaned when he realized, "I really am being an idiot tonight." He reached under the seat and tugged free a duffel bag, pulling from it a thick blanket and a poncho. He draped the blanket around Snake then threw the poncho over him to keep off the rain.  
  
Snake gave him an appreciative smile and pulled the blanket close. "Thanks." He looked closer at his partner, who stared at him silently, the distressed look still plain on his face. "What's wrong with you? I told you it's not your fault."  
  
"Oh...no, it's not that," Otacon said hurriedly, fighting more tears and beginning to stumble over his words. "I just...You don't know how glad I am that you're alive. I was so afraid it happened again. That's why I never said anything. I tried so hard to talk myself out of it, but I couldn't help it."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Snake asked, eyeing Otacon in confusion.  
  
Otacon's head dropped. "I'm cursed, Snake," he mumbled, tears starting to slip free. "Everyone I get close to dies."  
  
"You're just superstitious," Snake dismissed. "I think your only problem was getting close to the wrong people."  
  
"I hope you're right, and I hope I'm not gonna make the same mistake again."  
  
Snake looked at him askance. "Are you trying to tell me something?"  
  
"Yes," Otacon confirmed, nodding miserably, "but it's really hard for me to say. I've never been in this situation before, but I have to tell you. When I thought you might be dead...I...I just couldn't..."  
  
"Just spit it out, Otacon. I'm listening."  
  
The dam finally broke. With tears streaming down his cheeks, Otacon threw his arms around Snake's neck. "I love you, Snake!" he sobbed. "There, I said it! I love you. I thought you should know the truth, 'cause I couldn't keep working like this, pretending I didn't. All I need to know now is how you feel about me."  
  
After a few seconds, he loosened his grip and sat back enough to look into Snake's surprised, blue-green eyes. With some hesitation, he leaned forward again to briefly touch his lips to Snake's before letting go and sitting back. Snake sat silently, staring at him in mute shock, and Otacon began to ramble nervously.  
  
"You don't need to decide right away," he assured hurriedly. "I know it takes some time to think things through. I don't want you to lie to me either. I'll understand if you can't love me back. Don't pretend for my sake, I just wanna know the truth. I know you like women. I like 'em too, but lately I've been kind of afraid of them. I mean, look what happened last time, but I finally know what it feels like to really love someone, and I just wan..." He was cut off when Snake grabbed a fistful of his poncho and yanked him forward into a slightly rough, but very loving kiss.  
  
Quickly getting over his surprise, Otacon slid his arms around Snake and held him close. They kissed for a moment longer before separating to cling happily to each other. "You do love me!"  
  
"What made you think I wouldn't?" Snake replied with a smile. He rested his cheek against Otacon's hair and sighed. "I think that, in the back of my mind, I've known it for awhile now. I was just waiting for you to say something. All I needed was a couple minutes to figure out that it all made sense."  
  
"I love you." Otacon laughed a little against Snake's neck. "That gets easier to say every time."  
  
"It's nice to hear too, believe me," Snake said, hugging him closer. "Nobody's ever really loved me before, not even Meryl. It took her some time to see past the hero she had worshipped and see me for who I really am. Once she did, it was over, like I knew it would be."  
  
"Something else we have in common," Otacon sighed. "I've never really been loved before either. There were people who I thought loved me, but I was wrong. I've been alone for so long, I almost forgot how good it feels just to hug someone once in a while."  
  
"Well, we're not alone anymore. Are we?"  
  
Otacon shook his head and snuggled closer with a smile. "No, not anymore."  
  
They held each other tightly until Snake sighed and shifted to look down at Otacon. "We'd better get back. We don't wanna get caught out here."  
  
"You're right," Otacon agreed, reluctantly letting go of Snake and climbing back onto his seat. "We should take a long route away from here and dock at a nice, inconspicuous spot back down the coast."  
  
As Otacon shifted around to start the motor, Snake studied him from the floor. "You really look tired," he commented, a bit worriedly. "When's the last time you slept?"  
  
"I had to make sure everything was ready for this mission," Otacon replied with a shrug. "You were the one doing all the dangerous work, so you needed sleep. All I needed was coffee. I've done it before."  
  
"You stayed up all last night?" Snake's eyebrows went up under his bandanna in surprise. "No sleep at all?"  
  
"Right." Otacon got the motor running and plopped back down on the seat, starting off toward shore and carefully avoiding what remained of the sinking tanker.  
  
"The sun's gonna be up in a couple hours," Snake pointed out. "That's almost two full days. Believe me, that's not good for you."  
  
Otacon's eyes narrowed as he looked down at his partner. "Uh oh. Now listen, Snake, I love you, but I do not want a babysitter."  
  
"Relax. If there's one thing I'm not, it's a babysitter," Snake promised with a chuckle. "I'm only suggesting you get a little sleep before we get to shore. I can drive the boat."  
  
"Oh, I get it," Otacon laughed, grinning at Snake. "Yes, Snake, you can have the boat." Still chuckling, he switched places with Snake, leaning against his knee once they were both settled. "Ya know," he said eventually, "I almost feel strange calling you Snake now. It seems like I shouldn't."  
  
Snake smirked down at him. "I'd feel strange if you stopped. I'm not sure I'd recognize my real name if somebody used it to get my attention. Calling me David would be like calling you Hal."  
  
"You're right. Please don't," Otacon muttered, wincing. He looked up at Snake. "So it's just gonna be Snake and Otacon, huh?"  
  
"Why not?" Snake shrugged. "It's worked so far."  
  
Otacon smiled and nodded. "You're right." With a sigh, he rested his head in Snake's lap, shifting and pushing his hood back to look up at the sky. "Hey look, Snake. It's stopped raining."  
  
Looking up, Snake saw stars peeking out from the breaking clouds for the first time that night. He looked back down at Otacon, who was already drifting off to sleep, and smiled warmly. "Yeah, it sure did," he whispered, gently working his gloved hand into Otacon's hair.  
  
Slowly, Snake piloted them to safety. He knew they'd be busy again in the morning, but for right now, it didn't matter what the rest of the world was doing. That night had turned out to be the best either of them ever had.  
  
END 


	2. Part 1

TITLE: Otherside  
  
PART: 1/8  
  
SERIES: Philanthropy  
  
PAIRING: Snake/Otacon  
  
AUTHOR: Princess Co., Unltd.  
  
RATING: R (language, sexual situations)  
  
DISCLAIMERS: Metal Gear and all its characters belong to Konami. We're simply borrowing these characters for our own amusement. We're not making money or anything, so please, nobody sue. We don't have anything anyway.  
  
NOTES: This is a fic for people who are very familiar with the Metal Gear Solid 2 storyline. Lots of spoilers and lots of left out explanations that are described in great detail in the game, but not especially important to this story.  
  
SUMMARY: We all know Raiden's mission in the Big Shell...but what about Philanthropy...?  
  
WARNINGS: This story depicts a male/male relationship (yaoi). If this offends you, don't read it.  
  
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At the edge of a warehouse district somewhere in New York City sat a very nondescript four-story building. The drab exterior and dark windows cleverly disguised the elaborate and very alive interior of the new Philanthropy headquarters, just finished about six months ago. The roof was slightly domed, concealing a helipad and chopper in the supposed top floor. The third floor held ample and tasteful apartments, the living quarters of the Philanthropy core group. The second floor held workspaces and the infirmary. The first floor was simply storage, to maintain at first glance the appearance of a working warehouse.  
  
Below the building, in a deep basement, VR training equipment had been set up. Deeper still, in a well-buried and very large sub-basement, was a shooting range and space for practical training exercises. Of course, with Otacon and Mei Ling in collaboration, the security system was nothing to be scoffed at. Hardly a spider could creep inside without being seen, heard, or felt by some mechanical sensor.  
  
Inside the HQ, Philanthropy were working fast. Everyone had been very busy since the move, but haven't left the building much. Finally, after two years of laying low and several more months of planning, they were preparing for their first big mission, the opportunity they had been waiting for to get started again. That very day, two of their members would be infiltrating the offshore facility, Big Shell, and everything had to be ready.  
  
In the living room of their apartment, Snake and Otacon were dozing on the couch, Otacon stretched out with his head in Snake's lap. A quiet knock sounded at their door, and Snake grinned slightly, not lifting his head from the back of the couch. He had come to recognize Mei Ling's rather light way of doing everything.  
  
"It's open," he called, still grinning.  
  
Mei Ling entered, jaw dropping in shock when she spotted them. "You're napping now?! Do you know what time it is?"  
  
"Hmm?" Otacon mumbled, eyes fluttering open. He squinted at a clock and gasped, sitting up quickly. "Snake, why didn't you wake me?"  
  
"Relax, you're not late," Snake assured, putting a calming hand on Otacon's shoulder. He turned a slightly annoyed glance at Mei Ling. "You just couldn't let him sleep an extra couple minutes, huh? He's been up most of the night worrying about today."  
  
"Sorry," Mei Ling shrugged. "I just came to say goodbye and wish you luck."  
  
Otacon gave her a smile. "Thanks. We appreciate it."  
  
"I'll have my eye on you." Mei Ling smiled, winked, and started for the door.  
  
"You better," Snake called after her. "You're our guardian angel." Mei Ling giggled at that, waved and left them alone.  
  
Otacon sighed and looked at Snake. "We'd better get ready."  
  
"We are ready," Snake countered, "and you won't be running late for another twenty minutes. Leave in fifteen, and you'll be right on time."  
  
"I actually wanted to be a little early."  
  
"So leave in ten." Snake smiled warmly and gently brushed Otacon's hair back. "We haven't said goodbye the right way yet."  
  
Otacon returned the smile and wrapped his arms around Snake's chest with a sigh. "I'm still nervous," he admitted quietly. "Something still doesn't feel right."  
  
"What can you have to be nervous about?" Snake asked, still brushing Otacon's hair. "You've got this thing timed down to the second, and you came up with more contingency plans than I've ever had for any mission before."  
  
"I know. I know," Otacon mumbled, "but I still don't feel ready somehow."  
  
"You're ready."  
  
"Thanks, Snake." Otacon smiled, then heaved another sigh. "I guess it's time to go." He pulled slowly from Snake's arms, grabbed his laptop and stood facing the door for a minute before suddenly turning back to Snake. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a key card.  
  
Snake took the card and eyed it closely. "This looks familiar."  
  
"They're using my system," Otacon confirmed with a smirk. "A little updated, but pretty much the same."  
  
"Updated how?"  
  
"More sensitive proximity sensors," Otacon replied. "You don't have to deactivate stealth or even take the card out of your pocket. Just walk by a door and it'll open." He gestured to the card Snake held. "That's an all-access key."  
  
"I like it," Snake grinned, then set the key down on the coffee table and went with Otacon to the door.  
  
Otacon paused with his hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and turned to Snake. "See you in a few hours."  
  
"You better believe it." Snake grasped Otacon's chin and kissed him long and slow, then pressed their foreheads together. "If you get nervous again, just remember I've still got you, no matter where you are."  
  
"I love you, Snake," Otacon breathed, then put his arms around Snake and hugged him tightly.  
  
Nodding gently, Snake pressed a kiss to his cheek and released him. "I guess you better go join the Navy."  
  
Otacon laughed a little before turning serious again. "Be careful."  
  
"I was just gonna tell you the same thing," Snake said quietly, smiling faintly.  
  
Reluctantly, Otacon turned away from Snake and walked slowly out the door toward the elevator, glancing back over his shoulder constantly. He reached the end of the hall and hit the call button. The doors glided open and with one heavier sigh, he stepped inside and turned around. He watched Snake wave goodbye and waved back, a lump forming in his throat.  
  
Snake stood in the hallway, watching until the numbers over the elevator dropped down to one, then went back inside to get his gear together. He was satisfied that he had put on a convincing show, unwilling to admit to anyone except himself that he was nervous about the mission too. Otacon hadn't been in the field on a mission since Shadow Moses, and then he hadn't even been an official part of the mission. This was different. He was deliberately putting himself into a dangerous situation for the cause and it bothered Snake more than he was willing to admit. Once they were both inside Big Shell and in close communication, he would feel better.  
  
Knowing he was distracted, Snake went through his equipment and mental checklist once more before leaving, still with the distinct, nagging feeling that he had forgotten something.  
  
*  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Snake stood on a dock looking over the Hudson River, equipment bag at his feet, running through his mind exactly where Otacon was at that moment. He was most likely past checking in with the SEALs and the briefing and was probably nearly ready to board the helicopter. Snake resisted the urge to contact Otacon and turned his mind to the mission. His thoughts were interrupted when a stocky, grizzled-looking man approached him.  
  
"Lookin' fer a boat?" the man asked in a thick New England accent.  
  
Snake nodded once. "Are you the guy I talked to yesterday?"  
  
"Depends," the man replied, eyeing Snake. "Who'r you?"  
  
"Pliskin," Snake said after a moment's hesitation.  
  
"Ya escapin' from New York, Mr. Pliskin?" The man guffawed and slapped his knee at his joke while Snake glowered. Eventually, he stopped laughing and grinned at Snake. "Sorry, ya probly hear them kinda jokes too often." Snake still made no reply, merely stared stonily at the man who cleared his throat quickly. "Well, I'm yer man."  
  
"Good," Snake said gruffly. "Where's the boat?"  
  
"Where's the cash?" the man countered.  
  
Snake stared him down. "Show me the boat first." The man shrugged and led him to a rusty, dirty old fishing boat nearby. Snake stared at the thing floating in the river warily. "I'm surprised it's still floating."  
  
"So she ain't so purty," the man replied, patting the side of the boat. "She'll get ya wherever yer goin'."  
  
"It'll have to do," Snake muttered, shaking his head. He pulled out a thick wad of cash and handed it over.  
  
The man counted quickly and whistled. "This is more'n we talked about. You could buy 'er fer this much."  
  
"Not interested." Snake climbed aboard the boat, followed by the man. "I'm buying more from you than a ride. I'm counting on you to keep your mouth shut."  
  
"What about?" the man prodded, looking confused. "You never told me nuthin'."  
  
Snake aimed an intimidating glare at him. "And it'll stay that way, too."  
  
"So," the man cleared his throat again and grinned at Snake, "where'm I takin' ya."  
  
"Do you know where the Big Shell is?"  
  
The man shrugged. "'Course, who doesn't?"  
  
"Good," Snake nodded. "Take me toward it. I'll tell you when to stop."  
  
"Whatever ya want," the man replied, shrugging again. He went up to the controls and started the motor. The noisy thing growled to life, coughing smoke. Snake was a bit concerned, but as the vessel's captain seemed at ease, he calmed down.  
  
"So, what's the big secret?" the man called down to Snake over the noise.  
  
Snake glowered up at him. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret."  
  
"Yer not comin' out here to drown yerself or nuthin', are ya?" the man asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Why'd ya pay me all that money? Ya rich?" Snake didn't answer him, getting fed up with his questions. "What's so special out here anyways?" The man mused, then suddenly snapped his fingers. "I know! You must work fer the gov'ment. Some kinda spy or sumthin'. Am I right?"  
  
Snake shook his head and looked out over the water. "I'm just a guy who wanted a ride."  
  
"Well anyways, ya seem like the secret agent type," the man said with a shrug.  
  
"Afraid I wouldn't know the type you mean. I've never met a secret agent," Snake replied and decided to change the subject. "Does this boat always make this much noise?"  
  
"Sure does," the man nodded.  
  
"That smoke can't be good either," Snake continued.  
  
The man shrugged and patted the boat's wheel. "She don't hold 'er oil like she used to."  
  
"Why don't you sell it?" Snake asked. "Then you can use whatever you get for it, plus what I gave you, and get yourself a new boat."  
  
"That's somethin' to think about," the man nodded and went quiet.  
  
Snake stood silently at the bow of the boat, still staring out over the water and once again running through the mission in his head. Eventually, he could just see the Big Shell coming into view. "This is good," he called over his shoulder. "You can stop here."  
  
"But it's the middle-a nowhere!" the man gasped, but did as Snake asked and cut the engines.  
  
"Not nowhere," Snake shook his head, kneeling to dig through his equipment bag. "This is exactly where I need to be." He started pulling on his flippers and oxygen rebreather.  
  
The man climbed down from the upper deck and approached Snake, eyeing the diving gear. "Yer swimmin' in these waters?"  
  
"Any reason I shouldn't?" Snake asked as he secured his bag.  
  
"They ain't cleaned up that oil spill yet!" The man cried. "This here's contaminated!"  
  
Snake nodded. "I know."  
  
"I thought you warn't killin' yerself," the man said, eyes narrowing.  
  
"I'm not. I have good equipment." Snake turned and stared out at the shadowy form of the Big Shell. "Frankly, I don't think the Big Shell's doing its job."  
  
"So that's who you are," the man gasped with realization and Snake looked at him expectantly. "Yer a reporter! Yer gettin' dirt on Big Shell!"  
  
Snake grinned, glad the man had taken the bait. "I paid you enough not to answer that, and I'm still counting on you to keep your mouth shut."  
  
"Sure, no problem," the man assured. "Uh, how long'r you stayin' out here?"  
  
"You don't need to worry about that," Snake said with a grin. "I've got a ride home with someone else."  
  
Pulling the mask down over his face, Snake turned and dove into the water. Before going anywhere, he checked his watch, noting that Otacon should be in the air by now. He looked up through the murky water for a second, then started kicking toward the plant, surfacing several times to clear his mask's filter and look for the helicopters. Upon reaching the oil fence, he pulled out a large knife and slashed through the wire, the resheathed the knife and swam through. A few minutes later, he surfaced silently inside Strut A's deep-sea dock. He glanced around quickly, saw no one, and climbed out of the pool.  
  
Working quickly, Snake pulled off his mask and flippers, then took off his bag and watch. He knelt at the edge of the pool, opened his pack and began pulling out his weapons and supplies, stashing them in various pockets and holsters. When he was finished, he wrapped the mask and flippers in a weighted net satchel and lowered them into the pool, letting them sink to the ocean bottom. Then, he checked his time once more, seeing that Otacon's helicopter should be setting down any moment, and put the watch away in another pocket.  
  
Snake slung his bag, now holding only a stolen SEAL uniform and an M4 rifle, onto his back, stood and went cautiously toward the door. A loud splash suddenly echoed from where he came in and he swore to himself, then snuck through the door. He crept along the wall and paused, pressing back to peer around the corner. Seeing only a short corridor with a door at the end, Snake ducked back and took a deep, calming breath. Just as he was about to move on, he heard the door slide open and a shadow approaching quickly along the floor. He jumped out and quickly knocked out the guard and dove through the door.  
  
Ducking quickly into an open space surrounded by crates, Snake looked around saw another guard patrolling before a large elevator. "Bingo," he whispered, smiling to himself. He heard the door slide open and pressed more tightly into his hiding place as the hall guard rushed into the room. He couldn't see either guard, but heard them clearly. He noted with slight surprise that both spoke Russian.  
  
"There's an intruder," the hall guard reported.  
  
"I didn't see anyone," the other replied, sounding confused.  
  
"Then he must still be here." The first guard's voice quieted. "We can't let him escape or we're as good as dead. We'll corner him."  
  
"Right," the other guard whispered back. "You head that way and I'll go this way."  
  
Before the guards had finished speaking, Snake had inched out of his concealment, and positioned himself to ambush the hall guard. As the guard moved stealthily forward, Snake grabbed his gun and slammed his elbow into the man's face, knocking him out. He left that guard slumped against a forklift and moved to intercept the other. Moving around the central stacked crates, Snake met the guard coming the other way and quickly laid him out with a single punch to the jaw.  
  
As soon both guards were out, Snake glanced around the room and spotted what he was looking for in the north corner, the node. He hurried to the machine, grumbling something about damned computers, and tried to recall what Otacon had told him.  
  
After a second of thought, he remembered and cautiously placed his hand on the screen. Pain suddenly ripped through him and he bit back a shriek. It ended a moment later and he growled and kicked the node, then began navigating the menus. Eventually he found the right one and downloaded the maps of the Big Shell to his radar. He smiled as the radar display appeared in the corner of his vision, then gasped sharply as he realized one of the guards was awake and standing right behind him.  
  
Ducking fast, Snake kicked out and caught the guard in the gut, then grabbed him and flung both of them into the elevator. He slammed the guard's head into the floor, knocking him out just as the elevator began its automatic ascent. He quickly kicked the guard off and turned away, sighing in relief. He didn't see the figure crouching behind a stack of boxes, head covered by a rebreather mask, staring up at him.  
  
At the top of the strut, the elevator jerked to a stop and Snake moved off. Looking around, he saw two fenced areas surrounding the doors. He checked his radar for guards or cameras, but saw only a number of seagulls, so he went to the eastern fence and tried the gate. It was locked tight. With a grunt of annoyance, he moved to the opposite gate and swore outright when he saw it was locked as well.  
  
Still grumbling, he unsheathed his knife again and knelt before the fence, cutting a hole large enough for him to squeeze through. He resheathed the knife and entered the section, sneaking through the door and down the steps. As he descended back into the strut, his Codec chirped. He answered it and was immediately greeted by a sight of a group of SEALs moving stealthily down a flight of metal stairs.  
  
'Snake, are you there?' Otacon asked.  
  
'Otacon!' Snake sighed in relief and glanced at his watch. 'Looks like everything's right on schedule.'  
  
'Good. We just got clear of the chopper. Where are you?'  
  
'The upper level of Strut A,' Snake replied, moving past the lone guard and out into the entry. He paused and crouched outside the door to the AB bridge, peeking around it to check the bridge. 'I'm about to head to B.'  
  
'So I see,' Otacon grinned. 'We're moving down into Strut E right now and heading in your direction. I've gotta find a good time to discreetly disappear.'  
  
Snake nodded. 'Keep me posted.'  
  
'I will,' Otacon assured, pausing to sigh. 'I feel a lot better now that I can hear your voice again.'  
  
'Me too,' Snake smiled. 'Oh, by the way, I think that other sneaking mission you heard about followed me in.'  
  
'Followed you?!' Otacon gasped. 'Impossible!'  
  
'Don't panic,' Snake soothed, regretting his choice of words. 'Maybe follow is the wrong word. I meant he came in right behind me.' He shook his head and sighed. 'The guy's a rookie, I'd bet my life.'  
  
Otacon chuckled faintly. 'Well, don't do that, but try to find out exactly who he is anyway.'  
  
'How am I supposed to do that?' Snake asked, a bit incredulously. 'I can guarantee a look at him, sure, but I need time to change before I can ask him any questions.'  
  
'Relax. I didn't say right now,' Otacon sighed. 'It can wait 'til you're in a safe spot. Good luck.'  
  
'See you soon.' As soon as Snake ended the call with Otacon, his Codec chirped again. This time, there was no visual when he answered, so he figured it was Mei Ling.  
  
'Snake, it's me,' the analyst said, confirming Snake's thought. 'Glad to hear you both made it safely.'  
  
Snake grinned. 'We do our best.'  
  
'So you do,' Mei Ling chuckled, then turned serious. 'I just wanted to let you know, I've got you both on radar, and I'll be monitoring the mission now.'  
  
'That's our girl.'  
  
'One thing, though.' Mei Ling sounded regretful. 'I may not be able to talk too often. Naomi and Teresa are keeping me busy here too.'  
  
'As long as you don't forget about us here,' Snake replied.  
  
'I would never do that, Snake,' Mei Ling assured gently. 'I should call Otacon. Good luck.'  
  
As soon as the transmission ended, Snake pulled out his M9, checked his radar and jumped out the door. He quickly dropped both guards and went on to Strut B. As he looked around, he suddenly heard what could only be SEALs moving over the bridge behind him. Cursing silently, Snake ran down the hall, looking for a place to hide. He spotted a row of lockers beside the door to the BC bridge and ducked into one.  
  
He listened as the SEALs entered the strut and moved cautiously into the transformer room. Shortly, Snake began to hear some anomalous sounds, the zing of something cutting through the air, bodies falling, gunfire, and loud cries of alarm. A sinking feeling came over him as he realized what must have been going on. Taking the opportunity, Snake took off his pack, pulled out his disguise and started struggling to put it on in the confines of the locker.  
  
Suddenly, his Codec rang and Otacon's worried voice sounded in his ear. 'Snake, what's happening in Strut B? Are you there yet?'  
  
'I'm here,' Snake confirmed.  
  
'Team Alpha is in trouble!'  
  
'I know.' Snake shook his head. 'It's worse than you think. It's Vamp.'  
  
'Dead Cell,' Otacon gasped. 'He's the one with the knives, right?'  
  
'Yeah, that's him,' Snake growled.  
  
'Are you safe?' Otacon asked, the worried tone increasing.  
  
'I'm in a locker.'  
  
'No wonder I can't see anything around you.'  
  
Snake paused his struggles with the uniform and looked out through the grate. 'That better?'  
  
'I still don't see what's going on,' Otacon muttered.  
  
'Me neither.' Snake went back to pulling on his disguise. 'They're all around the corner or in the next room. Hold on.' He quietly opened the locker and crept out.  
  
'Snake, what are you doing?!' Otacon cried. 'Get back under cover!'  
  
'Relax, I just need a radio,' Snake said calmingly. He peered around the corner, seeing only a few dead SEALs in the blood-spattered hall. 'I think they're all in there now.' He glanced at the door to the transformer room and quickly went to the nearest body, taking his radio, then dashed back to the locker. He finished changing into the uniform, pulling the balaclava and headphones on last, then left the locker. He pulled out his M4 and stashed the bag in the end locker, locking it securely.  
  
'We're heading through Strut C now,' Otacon said. 'We should be heading toward your position in a few min...'  
  
'Shh. Wait a second,' Snake hissed, cutting him off. He listened hard for a moment. 'It's gotten quiet.' He pressed against the wall next to the door, trying to hear. He heard a faint voice, probably from a radio, but otherwise it was quiet. 'I think Vamp is still in there, probably reveling in the blood.'  
  
Otacon shuddered. 'Ugh.'  
  
'I might be able to...' Snake stopped, hearing two low voices. 'Damn. There's someone else in there. I'll bet it's that rookie.'  
  
'Now's your chance to find out who he's working for,' Otacon spoke up, sounding nervous. 'There's something strange about this whole situation.'  
  
'Right,' Snake agreed. 'I'm going in.' He cut off his Codec, checked his M4 quickly and charged through the door, spotting a very young-looking blonde man standing in the middle of a walkway. The rookie was looking around cautiously, M9 in hand, but didn't realize Vamp stood right behind him and was slowly reaching for him.  
  
"Get down!!" Snake shouted and the kid hit the floor a split second before he pulled the trigger, but Vamp dodged every bullet and vanished. Snake stalked warily into the room, boots squelching on the blood-soaked floor. "Where is he?!"  
  
Vamp suddenly jumped from the ceiling, knife flashing. He cut into Snake's arm, evoking a yell and sending the M4 flying. Before Snake knew what was happening, Vamp grabbed his head and slammed him hard against the wall, knocking off his headphones. Dazed and injured, all he could do was hang helplessly in Vamp's grip.  
  
The terrorist leaned close to Snake's throat, intending to bite him, but paused and sniffed slightly. "Hmmm? Strange smell..." he mumbled to himself as Snake rolled his eyes and glowered. "You smell like S--!" Vamp dropped Snake and backed away a step. "Are you -- it has to be!"  
  
"Shoot him!" Snake shouted, seeing the kid had grabbed his rifle. "What are you waiting for?!"  
  
The rookie unfroze and started firing, but Vamp cut the bullets from the air with great flourish. The clip emptied, and just as Vamp looked like he would make a move, he stopped dead.  
  
"Yeah, Queen?" Vamp said, speaking into a transmitter in his ear. He lowered his voice and kept talking, ignoring the other two men.  
  
Snake took advantage of Vamp's distraction and slid a fresh clip across to the rookie. The young man snatched it up and professionally slammed it into the gun, but Vamp was faster. As soon as the kid had the gun ready and took aim again, no one was there. Hearing a sound behind him, he swung the barrel around, but never got a chance to fire. Like lightening, Vamp was gone. The rookie swung in confused circles, seeking an enemy that was no longer there. Snake began to move on the floor and he turned the gun on him.  
  
"Hold on," Snake said quickly, "I'm not an enemy. Calm down." He shuffled over to a fence surrounding a group of transformers and sat up, leaning back heavily to catch his breath.  
  
'What happened?!' Otacon cried in his ear. 'You cut me off! Is everything okay?'  
  
'Yeah, fine,' Snake replied silently. 'Vamp got away though.'  
  
Otacon heaved a sigh of relief. 'What about the other intruder?'  
  
'I'm looking at him,' Snake said, looking up at the kid. Aloud he said, "My name is S..."  
  
'No!' Otacon cut him off sharply.  
  
Glancing down quickly, Snake began again. "My name is Pliskin. Iroquois Pliskin. Lieutenant Junior Grade." He sighed and yanked off his balaclava.  
  
'That was close,' Otacon breathed.  
  
'Tell me about it,' Snake muttered back, eyeing the stranger warily. 'Thanks for stopping me.'  
  
"Are you a Navy SEAL?" the rookie demanded, studying Snake just as warily. Snake didn't answer, merely staring back at him. "How did you get in?"  
  
"Fast rope descent from a Navy chopper," Snake replied, looking away again. As he did, he spotted a sea louse crawling from his uniform and shuddered faintly.  
  
The rookie watched the sea louse crawl away and looked back at Snake, even more suspicious. "Have I seen you before?"  
  
Snake looked the kid up and down, his head clear enough to notice his skull suit. "That suit -- are you FOXHOUND?"  
  
"That's right," the kid confirmed, angry with himself for not only being seen but also recognized.  
  
"FOXHOUND was disbanded," Snake said firmly.  
  
'I guess no one told him that,' Otacon commented, seeing the look of surprise on the kid's face.  
  
Snake bit back a smirk and continued his interrogation. "Where were you before FOXHOUND? Delta Force?"  
  
"I was part of the Army's Force XXI trials..." the rookie replied.  
  
"Force XXI?" Snake mumbled, half to Otacon. "That's about tactical IT deployment, right?"  
  
'I'll look it up,' Otacon offered.  
  
Snake gave a slight nod. "Any field experience?"  
  
"No --" the kid mumbled hesitantly, "not really."  
  
"So this is your first," Snake grumbled.  
  
"I've had extensive training --" the rookie said quickly, "the kind that's indistinguishable from the real thing."  
  
Snake raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "Like what?"  
  
"Sneaking mission 60, Weapons 80, Advanced --"  
  
"VR, huh?" Snake grunted, disappointed.  
  
"But realistic in every way," the kid replied indignantly.  
  
"A virtual grunt of the digital age. That's just great," Snake growled in disgust.  
  
The rookie glared, becoming defensive. "That's far more effective than live exercises."  
  
"You don't get injured in VR, do you?" Snake demanded, staring him down angrily. "Every year, a few soldiers die in field exercises."  
  
"There's pain sensation in VR, and even a sense of reality and urgency," the rookie insisted, not willing to let it go. "The only difference is that it isn't actually happening."  
  
"That's the way they want you to think, to remove you from the fear that goes with battle situations." Snake snorted bitterly. "War as a video game -- what better way to raise the ultimate soldier?"  
  
The kid handed back Snake's M4 and stepped back to glare at him angrily. "So you're saying that VR training is some kind of mind control?" He suddenly looked away, putting a hand to his ear and turning his back to Snake. "The Alpha team from Navy SEAL 10 is dead --" he reported to someone, then glanced at Snake, who had just stood up, "no, a single survivor."  
  
"The kid's wired with nanomachines," Snake mumbled, glancing at him over his shoulder.  
  
'Really?' Otacon sounded confused. 'Maybe he is FOXHOUND.'  
  
'If that's the case, who's controlling it now?' Snake wondered.  
  
Otacon sighed. 'That's what we're gonna have to find out.'  
  
'Where are you?' Snake asked, deciding to change the subject.  
  
'Stopped in the kitchen while the team sweeps the rest of Strut C,' Otacon replied. 'I'm not sure when we'll be moving again...I noticed you were eyeing that guy awfully close.' He sounded slightly bitter.  
  
'Well...?' Snake prompted.  
  
'I saw what you were looking at,' Otacon grumbled.  
  
'What?!' Snake cried, jaw dropping. 'I was just looking at the suit. I swear!'  
  
'Hmf,' Otacon snorted. 'I asked you to check him out, not check him out.'  
  
Snake sighed, shaking his head slightly. 'Otacon, I'd never look at someone else that way. I promise, okay?' As he spoke, he pulled out a bandage and started wrapping his arm, carefully not looking at the wound so Otacon wouldn't see it.  
  
Once he finished, Snake bent and scooped up his headphones, settling them back over his ears. He then wandered down the stairs to look around and came across a Navy captain slumped near a node with half a handcuff on one wrist.  
  
'Is that a...?' Otacon began, but cut himself off and looked up. 'Oh, hang on a sec. The SEALs came back.'  
  
'Are you moving?' Snake asked.  
  
'No, they found a section they didn't have access to and came back for a key.'  
  
'Aw, shit!' Snake swore suddenly, wincing and trying not to smack himself in the forehead. 'That's what I forgot! Damn it!'  
  
Otacon handed the SEALs a key and went back to Snake, hearing his outburst. 'What was that?'  
  
'Uh...I kinda forgot the PAN key you gave me,' Snake mumbled sheepishly. 'Do you have a contingency plan for that, too?'  
  
'Snake!' Otacon cried, then sighed heavily. 'All right, I'll see what I can do. Don't go anywhere until I get there.'  
  
'Got it,' Snake nodded.  
  
Just then, the rookie appeared behind him. "What's up?"  
  
"Take a look," Snake directed, indicating the captain.  
  
"What the hell...?" the kid mumbled, looking over his shoulder.  
  
Snake stepped closer to the body. "A Navy captain..." He stopped, feeling lightheaded, and stumbled backward with a groan to sit heavily on the stairs.  
  
"You all right?" the rookie asked.  
  
"Give me a few minutes. Must've lost a few more pints than I thought." Snake pulled out a cigarette and started patting various pockets, looking for his lighter.  
  
'What did you say?!' Otacon cried. 'Snake, are you hurt?'  
  
'It's not that bad,' Snake assured. 'I'll be fine.'  
  
'Are you sure?'  
  
Snake glanced down at his bandaged arm. 'It's just a couple scratches. Don't worry about it.' He found his lighter and flicked it open.  
  
'Snake, don't you dare light that cigarette,' Otacon ordered.  
  
'Aw, c'mon, gimme a break.'  
  
'You're supposed to be quitting.'  
  
'Just one, okay?' Snake begged.  
  
'Get rid of the rest.'  
  
Snake's jaw dropped slightly. 'What?!'  
  
'Remove the temptation,' Otacon said firmly. 'I'm serious.'  
  
The kid stepped closer. "What was that man -- just now?"  
  
"That bloodsucking freak?" Snake growled, finally lighting his cigarette. "That was Vamp..." With a sigh, he began to explain to the rookie all he knew about Dead Cell, with a few prompts from Otacon, eventually concluding, "...They were out of control -- and it all came to a head six months ago."  
  
"What happened?" the kid asked.  
  
"The unit was devastated," Snake continued. "There are only three left now -- and you just saw one of them."  
  
"Why would they go after the Big Shell?" the rookie prodded.  
  
"How should I know?" Snake cast the kid a glower. "I told you they were on the lunatic fringe."  
  
The guy ignored the look. "What about their leader? He says he's Solid Snake."  
  
Snake jumped on the opportunity to clear his name. "Snake died two years ago."  
  
"You mean the incident that made this Big Shell necessary in the first place?"  
  
"Right," Snake nodded. "And he was the one that sank that tanker." He bit back bile that rose in his throat at the words. He knew he had to say what everyone else had heard, no matter how hard it was.  
  
"But he's a legend --"  
  
'Another Meryl to deal with?' Otacon chuckled.  
  
Snake rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Legends are usually bad news. There's not a lot of difference between heroes and madmen..."  
  
"You're saying Snake is still alive and pulled another one?" the kid asked, sounding a little too hopeful.  
  
"No, he's not involved in this one," Snake said firmly. "His body was positively ID'd two years ago."  
  
The kid looked away, crushed. "Snake is dead..."  
  
"And buried," Snake concluded. 'So please, let him rest.'  
  
'Aww, my poor baby,' Otacon cooed in his ear. 'Listen, we're moving again. I'll be there in a little while.'  
  
'I'll be waiting,' Snake said, putting out his cigarette.  
  
The rookie finally turned back to Snake. "What about the other soldiers? I saw Russian equipment too."  
  
"Former Soviet military. They're probably mercenaries. The Big Shell is too big for just Dead Cell members to hold down." Snake eyed the kid oddly. "You weren't briefed on any of this? And you came in alone to boot? Why?" The FOXHOUND just looked at him silently. "Can't tell me, huh? Fine with me..." He looked down at the pack of cigarettes in his hand and, with a great deal of willpower, offered them to the kid.  
  
"I don't smoke."  
  
"Keep it anyway," Snake insisted. "May come in handy." He sighed as the kid accepted the pack and stashed it away in a pouch.  
  
'I'm proud of you,' Otacon smiled.  
  
'You have no idea how hard that was,' Snake told him slowly. He then pulled out the Socom he had for his disguise and held it out. "Take this too."  
  
The kid accepted gratefully and slid it into a holster, then seemed to think of something and reached into a pocket. "Here. Take this..." He held an electric razor out to Snake.  
  
Snake took it and stared at it for a second, then gave him a strange look and put the razor away.  
  
'Is that what I think it is?' Otacon asked, laughing. 'Maybe he's trying to tell you som --' He suddenly broke off and took a sharp breath. 'Oh no...'  
  
The Codec cut out and Snake jumped, almost before the radio at his shoulder crackled to life. Both pairs of eyes were drawn to a dead SEAL, staring at the radio as a panicked voice came over the waves.  
  
"Come in Alpha Zero! This is Bravo Zero, currently at the bridge between struts B and C. The president is --" A burst of gunfire sounded over the radio, making Snake flinch slightly. "Damn! I can't hit this thing! It's like some bad dream --" Snake's gaze unfocused as he listened to the sounds of battle, trying to keep himself calm, praying silently that Otacon was safe. "Alpha! Anyone! Come in, all Alpha! This is Bravo Zero!"  
  
"Aren't you going to answer him!?" the kid cried.  
  
Snake half-heartedly reached for his radio, quietly panicking as a loud scream erupted from it, then static, then silence. He slowly brought his hand down and stared at the floor. "The BC connecting bridge," he muttered.  
  
"We need to get there," the kid stated, studying him closely. "Can you handle it?"  
  
"I need a few more minutes," Snake replied, turning his head away when he saw the rookie's expression. He didn't care if the kid thought he was a coward; he was not moving until he heard from Otacon. "Remember my frequency -- it's 141.80."  
  
"141.80," the kid repeated, nodding. "Got it."  
  
"I've been briefed on this plant's layout. If you need information on the place or about Dead Cell, contact me." Snake gestured to his left ear, where his own Codec was implanted. "You're using nano communication, right?"  
  
"Yeah, but I can patch into your frequency."  
  
Snake smirked, amused despite his worry by how naive some people could be. As the kid started past him, he realized he'd forgotten something. "Hey -- what's your name?"  
  
After a second's hesitation, the rookie looked down at him. "Raiden."  
  
"Raiden?" Snake blinked. "Strange code name."  
  
Raiden shrugged. "Makes up for the boring one my parents gave me."  
  
"Maybe I'll find out someday," Snake muttered, giving Raiden a half-wave. He stared down at the floor and tried to contact his lover, becoming more worried by the second.  
  
TBC 


	3. Part 2

Out on the BC Connecting Bridge, Otacon moved back toward the Strut C entrance as the gruff SEAL sergeant had ordered, helping his companion along as bullets started flying behind them. Peter Stillman limped beside him as fast as he could, which was still too slow for Otacon's liking. Urging the man along, he glanced back toward the SEALs then across to their female opponent, who stood at the door to the Shell 1 Core holding what was clearly a deactivated rail gun at her side. Otacon blinked in disbelief as every bullet the SEALs fired veered away from the woman. Now even more frightened, he all but shoved Stillman into the sheltered entryway and slumped in relief against the wall.  
  
"I think we're pretty safe now," he sighed and started digging through his coat pockets. He produced two key cards and held them out to Stillman. "Here..."  
  
The other man took the keys and looked at them. "What are these for?"  
  
"They'll come in handy later," Otacon assured.  
  
"But..."  
  
"They told us to get back to the kitchen and wait," Otacon said, cutting off Stillman's objections. He gestured to the Strut C door. "Go ahead, I'll be right behind you."  
  
Stillman was about to protest again when a high-speed bullet suddenly ricocheted into the entry, burying itself into the wall beside them. Frightened enough now to let the questions wait, Stillman hurried through the door with Otacon close behind. Once safely in the strut, Otacon let Stillman get a few steps ahead of him and activated his stealth camo.  
  
Knowing he couldn't make it past the fighting back to Snake's location, Otacon shifted his mind to the first of his contingency plans and sneaked past Stillman to head straight to Shell 2. He had been monitoring Snake's frequency since he had cut his transmission earlier, but hadn't been able to respond to his lover's worried calls. Even now, he held off activating his own Codec until he was in a secure location. He heard the rookie call Snake and was relieved to hear he was sleeping, however lightly. However, the fourth time he called, he heard Snake mumbling in his sleep and then suddenly cry out Liquid's name in fear. Otacon started in surprise when he heard it and moved faster toward Shell 2. A few minutes later, he stood in Strut G, checking his radar and looking for a safe spot to call Snake. He spotted a small storeroom and ducked inside, kneeling behind a few boxes and activating his Codec.  
  
'Hey, it's me,' he said quietly, seeing Snake was still dozing.  
  
Snake snapped his eyes open, suddenly wide-awake. 'Otacon! Are you okay?'  
  
'Yeah, I'm fine,' Otacon assured. 'There's been a change of plans. I couldn't get to you, so I've moved on to Shell 2.'  
  
'What's going on out there?'  
  
'It was the girl, uh...Fortune.' Otacon shook his head, still amazed at what he had seen. 'It was unbelievable. Bullets really CAN'T hit her. Those SEALs don't stand a chance.' He took a deep breath. 'She was carrying a rail gun.'  
  
'Carrying?!' Snake gaped.  
  
Otacon nodded. 'Yeah, so if she decides to use it...'  
  
'We can say goodbye to the bridge,' Snake muttered and cursed under his breath.  
  
'Maybe not,' Otacon replied. 'She was by the Core, and the SEALs were heading for that secondary bridge.'  
  
'So, how do I get a key now?' Snake sighed.  
  
'The bomb expert they brought along has it,' Otacon explained. 'I was with him when they sent us back to the kitchen. The bomb disposal will still have to happen, and if team Alpha was wiped out, I'm sure Bravo will be too.' He paused, a bit surprised at his own cool reaction to the possibility of at least a dozen more people dying. He sighed and shook his head. 'He'll be in the kitchen. You need to get there and volunteer to help. As long as you tell him you're going to cover Shell 2, he should give you the right card.'  
  
'What if he decides to do it himself?' Snake asked. 'He could be gone by the time I get to Strut C.'  
  
Otacon shook his head. 'He's got a bad leg. He's not going anywhere. I gave him two keys. The level three card has been reprogrammed as all- access. That one's yours.'  
  
'You're good,' Snake smiled. 'I'm impressed.'  
  
'Someone's gotta take care of you,' Otacon chuckled. 'By the way, did you find out his name?'  
  
'Oh, yeah. He called himself Raiden.'  
  
'Raiden?' Otacon mumbled as he set up his laptop. 'That doesn't sound like a FOXHOUND codename.'  
  
Snake nodded in agreement. 'I thought the same thing.'  
  
'I'm looking for his file right now,' Otacon said, fingers flying over the keyboard. He went quiet for a minute, concentrating, then, 'I heard you being a little hard on him about VR training.'  
  
'Well?' Snake replied. He sighed and shrugged. 'Fine, I'll admit that VR missions are a great way to keep your skills sharpened, but it's no way to train a soldier.'  
  
'But it's not his fault he was trained that way,' Otacon said. 'Just go a little easier, all right? Aha, got it! Hmm...'  
  
'Something wrong?'  
  
Otacon shook his head. 'Most of what I can find is what he's already told you about his training. There seem to be huge pieces of data missing, either more highly classified or deliberately deleted.'  
  
'What else does it say?' Snake asked.  
  
'Not much. First name Jack, last name classified, hair blonde, eyes blue, height, weight, et cetera...' Otacon trailed off.  
  
'Something interesting?'  
  
Otacon cleared his throat. 'Seems he's bisexual. Currently involved with a woman named Rosemary, last name also classified. She's the analyst on this mission.' He took his hands off the keyboard with a sigh. 'I'm sure I could find out a few more things if you want.'  
  
'I guess that's not necessary,' Snake shrugged. 'Does it say FOXHOUND?'  
  
'Yeah, but I get the feeling it's just covering something else,' Otacon replied, studying the file. A minute later, he quickly sent the information to Mei Ling and shut down his laptop again. 'Well, you'd better get going. I've got to get to a more secure location to work. I'll see you later.'  
  
'Not too much later,' Snake said with a smile.  
  
'I hope not,' Otacon sighed, standing. He started for the door and paused. 'Oh, Snake, I was monitoring your frequency for a while before I called...you didn't tell me you were having nightmares about Shadow Moses.'  
  
Snake inhaled sharply. 'You mean I really fell asleep?'  
  
'Didn't you mean to?' Otacon asked, confused.  
  
'I was faking it to get rid of the kid for a while,' Snake muttered, rubbing his head. 'I must've hit my head harder than I thought.'  
  
'You hit your head?!' Otacon cried. 'When did that happen?'  
  
Snake shrugged again. 'Vamp slammed it into the wall.'  
  
'Then you shouldn't have been sleeping!' Otacon snapped. 'Snake, if I'd known that, I would've called sooner. Why don't you tell me anything?'  
  
'I didn't want to worry you.'  
  
'Well, you've got me worried now,' Otacon grumbled. 'Are you feeling okay?'  
  
'Slight headache,' Snake admitted, 'but I'll be fine.'  
  
'You probably have a concussion.'  
  
Snake shook his head. 'It wouldn't be the first.'  
  
'That's not something to be proud of,' Otacon sighed. 'Are you sure you'll be okay?'  
  
'Are you safe?' Snake asked.  
  
Otacon looked around quickly and nodded. 'Yeah.'  
  
'Then I'll be fine.'  
  
'You're sweet,' Otacon smiled.  
  
'Keep in touch,' Snake ordered, smiling also.  
  
Snake ended the transmission and got up, stretching, then moved up the stairs with his M9 in hand. He reached the bridge and looked out cautiously, seeing no guards. He was about to start across when a whirring sound caught his ear. Growling, Snake ducked back out of sight and put away his M9, taking out a USP instead.  
  
A second later, a small camera Cypher flew up to cover the bridge. Snake watched its flight pattern on his radar for a minute, waiting until it neared him again. As soon as it was where he wanted it, he jumped out and fired, taking it down in one shot, then hurried across the bridge. He scanned Strut C quickly, but it seemed empty, so he moved on to the kitchen.  
  
Pausing in the door, Snake listened, hearing two voices. He easily identified Raiden's, but didn't recognize the other. He figured, rightly, that it was the bomb expert, but didn't move yet. He wanted to know what Raiden would do.  
  
"Did I tell you you could move?" Raiden demanded suddenly, sounding more than a little high-strung.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Snake entered the kitchen and looked calmly at Raiden. "It's all right. He's not one of the bad guys." His expression turned into a faint glower when Raiden swung the barrel of his gun to point at him. "Don't go pointing that thing everywhere, kid," he growled and turned to study the other man. "What's your name?"  
  
"My name is Peter," he replied, sounding a little nervous. "Peter Stillman."  
  
'Peter Stillman,' Otacon spoke up in Snake's ear. 'He's...'  
  
'I know who he is,' Snake cut in. He searched his memory for a moment, then recited, "Lecturer at NAVSCOLEOD Indian Head...Also a consultant for the NYPD bomb squad."  
  
Stillman didn't look pleased at the recognition. "A poor old man who got dragged along for this picnic," he muttered, limping toward the counter.  
  
"I thought you'd retired," Snake said.  
  
"I did. Can't keep up with everybody, as you can see." Stillman gestured to his right leg with his free hand. "A famous church got wiped off the map thanks to me. With too many lives inside. All I lost was this leg," he concluded, slapping his leg with his cane.  
  
"So you're the bomb disposal guy?" Raiden asked, only to get things clear in his mind.  
  
Snake eyed Raiden with some disbelief. "Kid, this is THE bomb disposal guy. Open any explosives textbook and you'll see his name."  
  
"Heh," Stillman chuckled, almost bitterly. "Just ancient history now."  
  
"Why did they bring you out of retirement then?" Raiden asked, puzzled.  
  
"Because the terrorist group here includes one of my students," Stillman sighed. "The Emperor of Explosives -- Fatman. He built an atomic bomb when he was only ten. I created him in a sense."  
  
"And that's why you're here..." Snake said, eyeing him.  
  
Stillman nodded. "I'm pretty rusty. I was supposed to supervise the bomb disposal -- looks like it was taken care of before I had my turn."  
  
"I wouldn't say that." Snake grinned faintly and looked over his shoulder at Raiden. "There are at least two people here who can claim to be experts at bomb disposal." Raiden glared back at him, sick of having his skills belittled.  
  
"Are you with SEAL team 10?" Stillman asked, studying them. "I didn't see you at the mission briefing."  
  
"Oh, we're with another squad," Snake diverted quickly. "My name is Pliskin, Lieutenant Junior Grade. Honored to meet you, sir." He held out his hand.  
  
Stillman glanced at his outstretched hand briefly, then stared into his face. "Mr. Pliskin, do you have any experience with explosives disposal?"  
  
"Don't worry about me," Snake waved away the question and gestured at Raiden. "And he looks young, but he can do it. We need more manpower."  
  
"I'm ah --" Raiden mumbled, shuffling slightly. He blushed faintly, flattered that Pliskin had, for once, defended him instead of insulting him, but he himself was not confident of his skills in this case.  
  
"What's your name?" Stillman asked, studying him yet again.  
  
"Raiden," he answered, stumbling over his codename.  
  
"That's an odd name," Stillman frowned.  
  
Raiden looked away, wondering why everybody had to say that. "Any other survivors?" he asked, trying to turn the others' attention away from him.  
  
"There was also an engineer with me," Stillman replied, nodding.  
  
"An engineer?" Raiden muttered, confused again.  
  
"A skinny guy," Stillman clarified. "He went in with us..."  
  
Raiden nodded. "Where is he?"  
  
'Are they talking about me?' Otacon asked suddenly, a note of worry in his voice.  
  
'Yeah,' Snake confirmed, his attention on the conversation.  
  
"I haven't seen him since that skirmish," Stillman answered Raiden.  
  
"Was he killed?" Raiden demanded.  
  
Stillman shook his head. "I don't think so. I didn't find his body."  
  
"I see..." Snake mumbled.  
  
'Change the subject,' Otacon ordered, the worry a little more plain now. 'The less said about me, the better.'  
  
Snake rolled his eyes slightly. 'I have to be subtle. I can't just say, "Hey, let's stop talking about the engineer. He doesn't like it."'  
  
'But...'  
  
'Relax. I'll handle it,' Snake assured, turning his mind back to the discussion.  
  
"They told me he was the security systems architect for the Big Shell," Stillman explained.  
  
"Why would they take a civilian along?" Raiden wondered.  
  
"Everything in this structure is computer-controlled," Stillman sighed. "He was supposed to get us past all the security measures."  
  
"I never heard anything about that," Raiden muttered, brow furrowing in confusion.  
  
Stillman shot the kid a look. "He had official orders with him."  
  
"We'll leave that for later," Snake cut in gruffly, veering the discussion away from Otacon. "Right now, we need to figure out how to deal with all the bombs."  
  
'Thanks,' Otacon sighed, relieved.  
  
"But there's no one left from the SEAL's EOD squad," Raiden gasped.  
  
"Yep," Snake confirmed. "So we have to do it ourselves."  
  
"But I've never defused a bomb before..." Raiden mumbled worriedly. Suddenly, he put a hand to his ear, turning away. "Uh, hold on a sec."  
  
Snake grinned at him. "Off to confer with the C.O. again?" He watched with amusement as Raiden apparently fell into a silent argument.  
  
'Sure is taking him a while,' Otacon commented as he monitored Raiden's discussion.  
  
'I think everything takes him a while,' Snake replied wryly.  
  
Otacon chuckled, shaking his head. 'Oh, Snake, be nice.'  
  
"How about it, kid?" Snake called aloud, smirking. "Are the results in yet?"  
  
Not having much choice in the matter, Raiden joined Snake as Stillman explained what they would have to do, but he only half listened to the instructions, distracted by his own thoughts. He wasn't sure what to think of Pliskin earlier. So far, he had been nothing but pushy and arrogant, but just a few minutes ago, he had suddenly defended him. Why?  
  
Raiden looked at Snake again with a new appreciation. He appeared much healthier than the last time he had seen him and now that he thought about it, pretty damn hot. He'd always liked the strong types. The longish brown hair was nice, and his eyes...green. Yes, very nice. He liked his women softer, but his men chiseled, just like Pliskin. In fact, he was perfect, at least his looks. If Stillman wasn't there, he would have propositioned Pliskin right then. He didn't even notice Stillman finished his lecture until Snake turned to him.  
  
"Kid, this place is all yours," Snake told him. "I'll take care of Shell 2."  
  
"Take this," Stillman said, handing Snake one key card and sliding the other across the counter to Raiden.  
  
Raiden picked up his card and studied it. "What's this?"  
  
"Security card issued to Shell personnel," Stillman explained.  
  
'Baby, you're a genius,' Snake smiled, pocketing the level three card. 'I've got the card, and I'm heading your way.' He blinked curiously when Otacon made no reply to his praise. 'Why so quiet?'  
  
'I've changed my mind,' Otacon muttered. 'You don't have to be nice to Raiden.'  
  
'Why the change of heart?' Snake asked, glancing across at Raiden.  
  
'He's attracted to you, Snake.'  
  
Snake sighed, well used to Otacon's fits of jealousy. 'And you know this how?'  
  
'I've got you on radar,' Otacon replied. 'The whole time Stillman was talking, he wasn't paying attention. He was staring at you.'  
  
'How can you tell?'  
  
'Cones of vision, Snake. I could tell where he was looking, and I don't like it at all.'  
  
'I think you're just a little paranoid.'  
  
'I am not!' Otacon cried. 'I know what I saw.'  
  
Snake smiled faintly. 'You're cute when you're jealous.'  
  
'Who's jealous?' Otacon pouted.  
  
Suddenly, Mei Ling's voice cut in, 'Who's in denial now?'  
  
Otacon blinked in surprise. 'Huh?'  
  
'Snake, I think you should listen to Otacon,' Mei Ling continued. 'I saw the radar too.'  
  
'Maybe the kid's suspicious,' Snake suggested with a shrug. 'He's gotta know I've been lying by now.'  
  
"How did you get this?" Raiden asked suddenly, drawing Snake's attention back to the others.  
  
"That engineer I told you about gave it to me," Stillman explained. "He was supposed to program a set of all-access cards once we were on-site. Unfortunately, this card won't get you into every area of this structure."  
  
Snake nodded and put his card away. "We'll have to deal with the remaining security lockouts as they come up."  
  
'At least he will,' Otacon grinned.  
  
"Let's get going," Snake said to Raiden, hiding a smirk. As they started for the door, Stillman moved to follow and Snake turned back. "You stay here."  
  
"No, I'm going," Stillman insisted.  
  
Snake gave him a look. "The two of us can handle it, don't worry."  
  
"But --"  
  
"You'll just slow us down with that leg of yours," Snake said gruffly, glaring. "There's a war going on here. I don't have time to baby sit anymore." Pete glared back, but stayed silent.  
  
'That was a little cold, Snake,' Otacon chided.  
  
'He can take it,' Snake assured. 'He knows I'm right.'  
  
Raiden, hoping to get Snake's approval, stepped up behind him. "Why don't you let us handle the grunt work? You can tell us what to do over the radio, like in the original mission plan." He didn't see Snake roll his eyes and shake his head at him.  
  
"All right," Stillman sighed and lowered himself stiffly onto a stool. "I'll give you instructions from here. I may also need to prepare a backup plan just in case..."  
  
"In case of what?" Raiden asked.  
  
"Good luck to both of you," Stillman said, pointedly ignoring the question. "This is a dangerous one."  
  
"'Who Dares, Wins,'" Snake quoted.  
  
Stillman looked at him, suddenly suspicious. "If anything comes up, let me know. My frequency is 140.25."  
  
"Good luck, kid. I'll see you later." Snake patted Raiden on the back, not noticing the small shiver and smile he earned. He gave them both a small wave and started out the door. "'Semper Fi.'"  
  
"That man's no SEAL," Stillman said once Snake had gone. "I don't even think he's a Navy man."  
  
Raiden gaped, shocked. "What?"  
  
"'Semper Fi'...Marine Corps talk," Stillman said and looked up at Raiden. "Normally, team leaders stay in the CP and give orders with those headphones. And as far as I know, SEALs keep their officers away from the field." Raiden started thinking as Stillman went on. "And -- 'Who Dares, Wins' is a motto of the British Special Air Service."  
  
"Is he one of the terrorists, then?" Raiden demanded, horrified at the possibility.  
  
"No, somehow I don't think so," Stillman replied, staring hard at Raiden. "If there's someone to suspect, I'd put my money on you."  
  
"I'm --" Raiden shifted uncomfortably under Stillman's gaze, looking away.  
  
Stillman sighed and stood up, limping past Raiden. "Just take care of the bombs for now."  
  
"What about you?" Raiden asked, following him as he moved slowly across the room. "They could be back in this area soon."  
  
"I'll hide out in this pantry for a while," Stillman said, stopping before the pantry door. He slid it open and looked inside. Raiden peered over his shoulder, thinking that it looked like the perfect place for a little fun. He sighed, sorry that Pliskin had left so quickly.  
  
"If I lock the door, it should be all right," Stillman continued, checking the door lock. "Plenty of food in there too, so you won't need to worry about me. I'll give you instructions via Codec from here." He entered the pantry and slid the door partly closed. "Good luck -- kid. Bomb disposal is a face-off with your own mortality. Don't let the fear get to you. When you give in to fear, the darkness comes..." He shook his head and slid the door closed, locking it securely.  
  
Sighing again, Raiden leaned back against the pantry door, reflecting. Some of what Stillman had said really didn't make sense to him. And Pliskin...who was he? Marines, British Special Air Service...he'd been around. That, at least, was for certain, and Raiden liked that too. A smile crept across his face and he left the kitchen. He was about to start his mission, but first, he wanted to see if he could catch Pliskin before he got too far away. He hurried to the CD bridge and stopped dead. There was an unconscious guard at his feet and a box sneaking across the bridge.  
  
Alarmed, Raiden pulled his Socom and fired several times. Whoever was in the box set off at a run as pieces of cardboard began to fly off. The box disappeared into Strut D, and Raiden, shaken, lowered his gun and went back. Inside Strut C, Raiden figured there was more than one way to get in touch with someone and called Pliskin via Codec.  
  
'Pliskin, I saw someone wearing a cardboard box just now...?'  
  
Snake blinked, surprised. 'A box? I don't know anything about that. You sure you weren't imagining things?'  
  
'Of course I'm sure,' Raiden snapped. 'Do you think it's one of the members of Dead Cell?'  
  
'How should I know?'  
  
'I don't want to fight someone like that...' Raiden mumbled, a little worriedly.  
  
'Why not?'  
  
Raiden shook his head. 'Because it looked so dumb. Anyone who's willing to be seen like that must be completely insane. I mean, he's a psycho, there's no question about it.'  
  
'Um...uh...yeah...' Snake cut the transmission to Raiden, feeling insulted, and heard chuckling in his ear. 'Otacon, are you laughing at me?'  
  
'I'm sorry, Snake, but he's right,' Otacon replied, still chuckling. 'You and your cardboard boxes...'  
  
Snake frowned, a little hurt. 'What are you telling me?'  
  
'I'm just saying, maybe you shouldn't use the boxes as much as you do, okay? It kinda worries me sometimes. Looks like you scared Raiden too.'  
  
'He didn't have to shoot at me,' Snake mumbled, pouting faintly.  
  
'True,' Otacon allowed, 'but you heard him. He thinks whoever was in that box is a psycho. Psycho equals "bad guy" to him.'  
  
'All right, all RIGHT! I get it already.' Snake sighed and rubbed his forehead. 'So, where are you?'  
  
'Not far. I'll let you know once those bombs are frozen. You don't need to be sidetracked now.'  
  
'I'd feel better knowing where you are,' Snake insisted.  
  
'It won't do you any good to know if I have to move,' Otacon sighed. 'Don't worry. I have some things to take care of, so I'm signing off for a while. Just call me when you're done, and I'll meet you then.'  
  
Snake sighed again, knowing better than to argue. 'Take care of yourself.'  
  
'You too,' Otacon returned quietly and cut the transmission.  
  
As soon as Otacon had signed off, Snake called Mei Ling. 'Hey, you there?'  
  
'What is it, Snake?' Mei Ling asked.  
  
'Can you tell me where Otacon is?'  
  
'You called to ask me that? You should be defusing bombs right now.'  
  
'I just need to know.'  
  
Sighing, Mei Ling went through her radar maps, looking for Otacon. 'He's moving around, Snake. It looks like he's checking out Shell 2.'  
  
'Where is he right now?' Snake asked.  
  
'The lowest floor of Strut I, going up,' Mei Ling replied.  
  
'Thanks,' Snake smiled.  
  
'Anything else before I get back to work?'  
  
'That's all.'  
  
'See you later,' Mei Ling smiled, and cut the transmission.  
  
Feeling better knowing Otacon was safe, Snake started on the bombs. He cleared Strut G and moved counter-clockwise around the rest of the Shell. Raiden was keeping himself busy as well clearing Shell 1 of bombs. However, each time they reported another location to Stillman, the bomb expert became more puzzled and worried.  
  
On his way up to the heliport on Strut E, Raiden had an encounter with Olga Gurlukovich and called 'Pliskin', who explained what he could, having been 'briefed'. Not long after, Stillman called Snake and asked him to look through the bottom of Strut H on a hunch. Snake was nearly there anyway, so he agreed and left Strut I unchecked, reasoning he would get it later. After a minute of search, Snake found what he was looking for. Not liking what he saw one bit, he called Pete.  
  
The bomb expert was talking to Raiden. 'Good work. Only one more left to go...'  
  
'This is Pliskin,' Snake cut in. 'Do you read me, Pete?'  
  
'I'm here,' Stillman confirmed. 'What's up?'  
  
'Raiden, you need to hear this too.'  
  
'I'm listening,' Raiden replied.  
  
'I checked out the bottom of Strut H for you, Pete,' Snake began.  
  
'Wait --' Raiden interrupted, making Snake glower irritably, 'what's this about?'  
  
'I asked Pliskin to look around,' Stillman explained. 'Knowing Fatman, I can't shake the feeling that all the bombs so far were just wrong.'  
  
'So, did you find anything?' Raiden asked Snake.  
  
Snake rolled his eyes and sighed faintly. 'Yeah, a hell of a lot of C4s packed into the bottom of the strut. Pete called it right...'  
  
Regretfully, Snake explained that the sensor didn't detect the C4. Stillman recognized it as a direct challenge from Fatman and knew that if he really wanted to destroy the Big Shell, there must be another bomb in Shell 1, figuring the most likely spot was the bottom of Strut A. He told Snake not to do anything to the bomb yet. He wanted to see it for himself. Snake and Raiden protested, but Stillman silenced them with the truth about the church, his guilt, and his phony injury. He started putting together another sensor and Raiden moved on to his last bomb. Snake defused one of his last two bombs and moved back down to Strut H to meet Stillman.  
  
By the time Raiden froze his last C4, Stillman was in Strut H and studying the bomb. He instructed Raiden to go back to the kitchen, where he's left a new auditory sensor for him. Snake left him with bomb and moved on to look for the C4 in Strut I, his last bomb to freeze. Just before he found the last bomb, Raiden called to say he had found the new sensor. Stillman, who had been staring at the 'scentless' bomb from a distance for the last several minutes, suddenly realized that the timer was not counting down. While he puzzled over this, Snake found his bomb and froze it before Stillman could warn him not to. The scentless bomb activated, giving a four hundred second countdown. He told Raiden to hurry to Strut A and freeze the other one. Raiden calculated he had just over six minutes to get there and started running.  
  
'What about yours, Pete?' Snake asked as Raiden hurried to Strut A.  
  
'I'm not the expert for nothing,' Stillman replied confidently. 'I'm sure Fatman has complicated it somewhat, but with a few minutes to study it, I'm sure it can be defused.'  
  
'You need a hand with anything? I can head back down,' Snake offered.  
  
Pete shook his head. 'Thanks, Pliskin, but that shouldn't be necessary.'  
  
Once the Codec cut, Snake, meaning well, started back to Strut H anyway. Meanwhile, Stillman pulled out his wire cutters and looked once again at the bomb, still apprehensive. Something didn't seem right, but he couldn't figure out what. Shrugging off the lingering questions in his mind, he approached the C4. The counter abruptly jumped to just sixty seconds and counting. Sweat beaded on his forehead. So that was it.  
  
"Touché, Fatman," Stillman mumbled, then called the others. 'Raiden, Pliskin, listen carefully.'  
  
'What is it?' Raiden asked as he rode the elevator down to the Deep Sea Dock.  
  
'I fell for it,' Pete admitted quietly.  
  
Snake froze at the top of the ladder outside Strut H. 'Fell for what?'  
  
'Fatman has my number,' Stillman said. 'A proximity sensor. Microwave.'  
  
'Microwave?' Raiden mumbled, confused.  
  
Stillman nodded, sighing quietly. 'With a seven foot range. It's not a technique I taught him. Neither was that multi-bomb booby trap. Looks like he's far surpassed me as far as explosives technique goes. As for the rest --'  
  
'Pete, get out of there!' Snake growled as he climbed back up the ladder.  
  
'There's less than thirty seconds left,' Pete replied, shaking his head. 'It's too late.'  
  
'No!' Raiden cried.  
  
'Pliskin, get away from Strut H, as fast as you can,' Stillman ordered hurriedly.  
  
'Pete --' Another thought struck Snake and he closed the line to Pete, calling Otacon instead.  
  
'Hey, Snake,' Otacon greeted. 'Done already?'  
  
Snake was already up the ladder and running for the GH bridge. 'Otacon, where are you?'  
  
'Why? What's going on?' Otacon asked worriedly.  
  
'Just stay away from Strut H,' Snake ordered as he raced across the bridge. 'A bomb is gonna go off in just a few seconds!'  
  
'I...I'm on the roof,' Otacon whispered, swallowing hard.  
  
Snake froze, his heart skipping a beat. 'What?!' He turned and ran back as fast as he could. 'I'm coming up to get you! Hang on!'  
  
'Snake, no!' Otacon cried. 'There's not enough time!' The explosion suddenly rocked the structure, knocking him off his feet. When the tremors died down, he stood up, unhurt, and tried contacting Snake. All he got was static. 'Snake!' His own heart skipping with fear, Otacon hurried to the small roof access hatch and climbed down into the strut.  
  
TBC 


End file.
